“Take a look around,” emcee Jim Talkington admonished a crowd of gathering runners and walkers early Saturday. “This is what 1,000 people looks like.”
Talkington, serving as emcee for the fourth annual Charley Melvin Mad Bomber Run For Your Life, noted organizers had reached their goal of 1,000 participants for the race, which started at the stroke of 12:26 a.m. — the exact time sticks of dynamite Melvin had placed in three local saloons exploded in July 1905.
The mood was festive from start to finish, with just enough of a break of the summer heat to create picture-perfect weather conditions.
As for the race, 14-year-old Denver Parker was the fastest of 370 runners completing the 5-kilometer course in 17 minutes, 33.37 seconds, followed by Vince DeGrado of Iola. DeGrado, track and cross country coach at Allen Community College, helped design the new route for the runners.
Fifteen-year-old Michaela Bauer was the fastest female runner — good enough for eighth overall — with her time of 19:07.57.
Other winners for specific age groups were:
Females 1-14, Paige Scheckel, 24:13.49; males 15-19, Drew Baum, 18:13.10; females 20-29, Nicole Schowengerdt, 21:10.48; males 20-29, Spencer Anderson, 22:11.46; females 30-39, Melissa Hermann, 21:22.72; males 30-39, DeGrado, 18:02.39; females 40-49, Jenny Wilson, 26:04.47; males 40-49, Lynn Wilson, 18:54.47; females 50-59, Debra Erhart, 27:53.64; males 50-59, Brian Wolfe, 24:19.16; females 60-69, Jan Taylor, 30:14.29; males 60-69, Kenny Englert, 21:33.95.
A full list of results is available on the Internet at ozendurance.net.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:
— The annual “drag” race drew raucous cheers as some of Iola’s most distinguished gentlemen traded in their business suits for dresses — some a bit more risque than others — through a series of garter exchange relay races.
Through several rounds of races, including a series of do-overs to break ties, ????? took home first place and was crowned “2012 Drag Queen.”
— The inaugural Parade of Lights drew scores of oohs and ahhs as floats, bikes and the drag queens were illuminated with glow sticks or other neon-colored decor.
— Iola historian Clyde Toland was accompanied by the Brass Boomers Band in the retelling of Melvin’s tale and how the strict prohibitionist attempted to destroy the illegal saloons. There were no fatalities, but damage to the three saloons was extensive. The nearby Allen County Courthouse, and its new clock, sustained damage as well. Melvin fled Iola and was arrested about a month later in Iowa.
— Lawrence crooner Tyler Gregory delighted crowds with a pair of performances — one prior to sundown; the other after dusk — with his unique brand of folk music from the courthouse bandstand.
— Youngsters in attendance were kept busy by bouncing around on a series of inflatable carnival attractions, sponsored by the Allen County Animal Rescue Facility, and through a bucket brigade contest. The bucket brigade involved races in which teams attempted to fill trash barrels with buckets of water. Talkington and Charley Melvin himself, otherwise known as Iolan Don Burns, were there to spur on the competitors, and to step in occasionally. By the end, all of the competitors, as well as Talkington and Burns, were drenched from head to toe.
